Off-center switch hook



Patented June 22, 1937 UNITED STATES REISSUED PATENT OFFIQE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a salety device for operating switches, fuse cut-outs, and the like, particularly in high voltage work where the operator must be removed from the switch or fuse 5 a safe distance.

I am aware of the fact that heretofore poles have been employed carrying an L hook on its upper end, the hook invariably being attached to the pole by having its shank inserted axially in the end of the pole. These switch hooks resembled the ordinary window sash hooks and presented considerable diiculty in their use.

Such a type hook as heretofore employed when inserted in the eye of the shiftable member of the switch or fuse out on the end of the pole in many cases twenty to twenty-four feet removed from the operator would slip out of the eye before the end seal could be broken and the shiftable member opened. A greater diiculty presented itself in attempting to close the member by such a hook. Slippage of the hook from the eye where the eye was mounted in close proximity to the conductors or bus bars frequently occasioned dangerous flashes and the like'.

A primary object of my invention is to provide a switch hook having a certain form and mounted off center of the pole so that once the hook is engaged with the eye of the switch knife or eye of the fuse member, the pole carrying the hook will not be disengaged from the eye upon i either pushing or pulling the pole and the engagement will be preserved until the pole is positively axially reversed to secure the release of the hook. 1 It is of course a. still further primary object "o of my invention to provide a greater factor of safety through the use of my invention than. was afforded by the heretofore customarily employed switch hooks as above indicated.

Further important objects of the invention are to provide an extremely rugged structure and to provide such a form of hook that it will be intuitively used and automatically secured in position thereby without the operator having to work under extreme tension for fear of being brought o i-nto contact with the high voltage being handled.

These and other objects will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a switch hook embodying my invention;

Fig. 2, an end elevation of the hook;

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the hook revolved 180 from that shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4, a left hand side elevation in reference to Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views in the drawing.

I employ a pole I 0 made of any suitable insulating material and having the desired length, being tted in the customary manner with a ferrule II on its lower end into which extension pieces. may be tted. On the upper end of the pole, in the form herein shown, I mount a hook I2. The hook I2 is provided with an attaching shank or tongue I3 which is flattened particularly on the pole side to bear against a flattened area I4 formed along one side of the pole I0. That is, the shank I3 is placed entirely on the outer side of the pole I0 so as to preserve the major cross sectional area of the pole. A ferrule I5 is telescoped over the pole and over the lower end of the tongue I3 to fit snugly thereover and therearound by an off set portion I6. Thev ferrule is secured in place by a rivet Il passing entirely through the ferrule, the pole I0 and the tongue I3.

A similar ferrule I8 is telescoped over the upper end of the pole III and around the tongue I3 to t snugly thereover and therearound by an off set portion I9. This ferrule I8 is secured in position by a through rivet 2D passing entirely through the ferrule, the upper end of the pole I0 and through the tongue I3. The snug engagement of the two ferrules I5 and E8 and their securepositioning by the rivets I'I and 20 taken together with the iiat area of contact between the inner side of the tongue I3 and the side of the pole I0 insure a positive non-moving grip attachment of the shank I3 with the pole.

From the top end of the shank I3, the metal forming the hook proper is bent over at nearly right angles to the axis of this shank, Fig. 3, to carry the metal outwardly from the side of the pole, Fig. 2, and thence around and upwardly to follow more or less roughly a. helical involute form until the curved portion has been carried around approximately from which portion the metal is then curved around and carried horizontally into a straight terminal end 2I, the outer end of which is carried out in front of the shank I3 a slight distance as is indicated in Figs. 2 and 4.

From the foregoing description of the form of the hook I2, it is to be observed that after the hook leaves the upper end of the shank I3, the hook is entirely outside of the pole and carried to one side thereof in its major portion. Since the curved portion of the hook between the upper end of the shank I3 and the terminal end 2| is thus located to one side of the hook, the terminal end may be inserted through the eye of the member to be operated upon and the pole given a slight turn so as to bring the hook around intol engagement with this. oiT set portion, this being permissible by reason of the portion being oi set from the side of the pcle. Furthermore by reason of the particular conformation of the hook as above described, the pole may be pushed upwardly or pulled downwardly or even operated from an angle all Without disengagement of the hook from the member being operated upon unless the operator initially reverses the pole axially. It is also of considerable aclvantage to have the terminal end 2| mounted in spaced relation from the side of the pole rather than extending radially therefrom as will be readily appreciated by those versed in the art and particularly in the use of such a tool.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural variations may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention yand I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claim.

I claim:

A switch hook comprising a pole, and a hook carried on one end thereof, a shank on the hook contacting a sidei of the pole, means permanently securing the shank in rigid position on the pole, and said hook being offset laterally and longitudinally from the pole end and having an approximately corkscrew single turn, said means comprising pole gripping members having oiset portions receiving said shank therethrough.

FLOYD VIRGIL KEHL. 

